POLICE are threatening to tell insurance companies about careless drivers who don't bother to lock their cars.

It comes as part of a major initiative which aims to shut the door on car crime this month.

Officers from Crewe and Nantwich police have stepped up patrols in hotspot areas and are carrying out more roadside checks as part of Operation Wheelspin.

They are also visiting known offenders and leaflets are being distributed to residents about keeping their cars safe.

A senior officer has warned drivers who are careless about securing their vehicles or putting valuables out of sight they could be shopped to their insurance companies.

More than 120 cars and vans were broken into in Crewe and Nantwich last month. Items stolen included laptops, briefcases, golf clubs and mobile phones.

But officers behind the clampdown, jointly run with the Crewe and Nantwich Safer Communities Partnership which has ploughed £5,000 into it, are expecting an even bigger surge of car burglaries this month.

They say vehicle crime increases in November because the longer nights help the thieves operate unnoticed and many cars contain Christmas shopping.

Detective Inspector Alan Allman said: 'It's a serious problem which causes a great deal of distress to the victims and occupies a lot of police time.